Hello, I want to control my home systems with voice commands. However, I'd like to get a general idea of which method is more reliable, convenient, or likely to be supported in the future. Based on your experiences, which voice command system (e.g., those operating over a local network, cloud-based ones, etc.) do you think is a better long-term solution? Or what features would you recommend paying attention to?
What's the best voice command method for smart home devices?
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For me, switching from Android to iPhone was also my first serious contact with the Apple ecosystem – and to be honest: Siri initially disappointed me a bit. But after a few months and a bit of patience, things changed completely. My main issue was that many smart devices (especially older Zigbee lights or Sonoff switches) simply didn’t work well with HomeKit.
That’s why I’d clearly recommend going with HomeKit and local processing if you’re planning long-term. The benefits: everything runs over your own Wi-Fi, works without the cloud, and functions even without the internet. Even if Apple has server issues again or changes something, your automations stay stable. I’ve been using Philips Hue, Aqara sensors, and an Eve Energy switch for a year now – all controlled locally. Even with the iPhone 12 Mini, it runs smoothly, and since iOS 17, it’s even better thanks to improved voice recognition.
However, if you have devices that only support Alexa or Google Assistant (e.g., older Roborock models or certain Nest products), HomeKit is unfortunately often a dead end. In that case, I’d suggest using the HomePod mini as an intermediary – it can act as a gateway and control Siri via HomeKit, even if the devices themselves aren’t HomeKit-compatible. You’ll lose some stability, but you’ll keep voice control.
In short: If you want future-proofing and stability, local HomeKit is the way to go. Everything else is often just a half-hearted promise.
Or am I just gonna wake up tomorrow and be like "Hey Siri, I don’t wanna talk to you," and it’s not gonna listen to me, so do I gotta go back to using a keyboard with actual buttons? 😅 At least in my place, "turn on the lights" hasn’t turned into "the lights are on, let’s dance" yet… hope it never does.